Its a Wonderful ... Message Board

[MJ2.0]

May 20, 2015 10:48:02 GMT -5 yogiii said:

GRG - you would be seriously impressed with my phone!  One of these days someone will probably pass out at the sight of it.

that deserves to be in a museum! LOL

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

May 20, 2015 10:36:12 GMT -5 shanendoah said:

There's a good chance I'd be divorced. There's a reason money issues are one of the leading causes of divorce. There's just so much stress involved. WIR gave me a place to vent, to ask for help, to create a plan.

Beyond that, I probably would not have had the savings to survive 9 month unemployment, or the $10k emergency fund to cover the over $6k in work we needed done on the car the month before we took our $3k Disneyland vacation (which didn't come out of the EF, because I had vacation savings, too).

And finally, as others have mentioned, there are the friendships that have formed. MrsLynch may not have made it over to these boards, but she's a fabulous person. Firebird has become a great friend.

I'm moving "north" soon, so maybe I'll finally figure out a way to meet The Walk of the Penguin Mich and TD2K. But even if I don't meet anyone else in person, I love that you all live in my computer and are a great support network for me.

We go down to Seattle regularly (it helps we have season tickets to the ballet) and my orthopod practices there.  PM me when you get into town and we'll work on this.

[yogiii]

We still had a tube TV up until 1.5 years ago.  People couldn't handle that either.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I met a LOT of people from an offshoot of the very early YM MSN boards (around 2002ish).  I've been to 3 weddings of people that I've met through these.  When I was stranded in NYC last year during a massive snowstorm, one offered me sanctuary (and provided the very much needed alcohol).

In fact, about half the phone numbers in my phone are people that I met on that board....

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

May 20, 2015 10:48:02 GMT -5 yogiii said:

GRG - you would be seriously impressed with my phone!  One of these days someone will probably pass out at the sight of it.

Wanna be friends??  I could learn a lot from a girl like you!!!  

[Lizard Queen]

May 20, 2015 10:55:14 GMT -5 yogiii said:

We still had a tube TV up until 1.5 years ago.  People couldn't handle that either.

We still have one that the kids still use to watch the Roku! 

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

May 20, 2015 11:01:09 GMT -5 GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl said:

May 20, 2015 10:48:02 GMT -5 yogiii said:

GRG - you would be seriously impressed with my phone!  One of these days someone will probably pass out at the sight of it.

Wanna be friends??  I could learn a lot from a girl like you!!!  

LOL....until last month, I had one of these too!  We used our's until they died.  TD's 8 year old phone finally died......

[yogiii]

May 20, 2015 11:04:36 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

May 20, 2015 10:55:14 GMT -5 yogiii said:

We still had a tube TV up until 1.5 years ago.  People couldn't handle that either.

We still have one that the kids still use to watch the Roku! 

It's still around, just upstairs and not in the family room.  Don't worry.  Maybe I should start bringing it down when we have parties though.  Seriously, after years of ragging on us, people seemed sad to walk in one day and see a 60" flat screen

[Deleted]

I've been around since 2002.  Hard to say where I'd be without the boards.  My ex blames our divorce on my imaginary friends though.

[wvugurl26]

May 20, 2015 11:09:49 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

I've been around since 2002.  Hard to say where I'd be without the boards.  My ex blames our divorce on my imaginary friends though.

He needs someone to blame. It would be awful to have to take responsibility for your own actions.

[imawino]

I would probably not be saving as much as I am now, so thanks!    I probably would also be having a lot more fun spending money - and less anxiety about how I may end up eating cat food in retirement, so....thanks?

I also never would have had the chance to drink in person with swamp, cookies galore, beerwench, chocolate lover, miss margarita and miss tequila! So that would be sad.

[goldensam]

I started reading the boards around 2003/2004 ish while in college. I'm from a family that makes little, spends (finances) a lot. Retirement savings? What's that? You just work until you die. Savings in general? Huh? High 5 figure credit card debt? No big deal!

Thanks to this board (and the MSN board before it), and specifically phil5185, I opened and began maxing a ROTH every year beginning in 2007, faithfully contributed (but not maxed) my 401k every pay period that I have been eligible, opened a taxable account, and used the power of leveraging to ride out my low interest student loans and (now paid off) car loan on my Honda allowing me to fund the aforementioned ROTH, 401k, and taxable accounts. I no longer carry a credit card balance. I have an umbrella insurance policy. I'm not trading my car in for a new fancy one now that mine is 6 years old. I don't KUWTJ in most cases (although I love purses). 

Basically, stumbling across YM changed my entire financial future. 

[gs11rmb]

I opened up a taxable account at Vanguard thanks to this board.  I also learned the importance of fees and transferred my Roth to another provider to get better rates.

[Peace Of Mind]

I've had some really good times over here (and the old place) and have never laughed more.  I can say outrageous things and be silly and have met like minded people here to do it with me.  I'm more careful with money than I ever have been and our future looks brighter than it probably would have without you all reminding me of things and when to go slowly or not spend at all. 

I've met great people from here (MJ recently, Cheesy, Zib and Sammy a couple of times each and all are sweethearts!) and 2 are going to be my neighbors!      And I might be meeting 2 more this summer. 

 and you all are very much appreciated! 

[NastyWoman]

May 20, 2015 10:53:22 GMT -5 MJ2.0 said:

May 20, 2015 10:48:02 GMT -5 yogiii said:

GRG - you would be seriously impressed with my phone!  One of these days someone will probably pass out at the sight of it.

that deserves to be in a museum! LOL

Hey, hey, play nice now. I have the fraternal twin to that phone in my pocket

[swamp]

May 20, 2015 11:35:12 GMT -5 imawino said:

I would probably not be saving as much as I am now, so thanks!    I probably would also be having a lot more fun spending money - and less anxiety about how I may end up eating cat food in retirement, so....thanks?

I also never would have had the chance to drink in person with swamp, cookies galore, beerwench, chocolate lover, miss margarita and miss tequila! So that would be sad.

[Opti]

May 20, 2015 10:55:14 GMT -5 yogiii said:

We still had a tube TV up until 1.5 years ago.  People couldn't handle that either.

I still have a tube TV and my phone is older than yours. No camera.

[Chocolate Lover]

May 20, 2015 5:47:43 GMT -5 yogiii said:

May 19, 2015 16:21:22 GMT -5 whoisjohngalt said:

You thought that was me?!  Ok, it was.

I've always been a saver, but I can thank YM for getting me on the Vanguard index fund track.  Otherwise I'd probably have all my money in Canadian railroads.

[Chocolate Lover]

May 20, 2015 10:55:14 GMT -5 yogiii said:

We still had a tube TV up until 1.5 years ago.  People couldn't handle that either.

The only reason I have a flat screen at all is because it belongs to my oldest child who kept it in his room about 6 months and then told me I could use it in the living room because he hated the giant entertainment center holding the giant tube tv. Every other tv in my house is a tube. I hope there's not a lot going on on the edges of the tv shows I watch, they are always getting cut off.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I've learned a lot about retirement on here. If I hadn't been on this board I never would have known we could roll DH's old 401(k) into a IRA.  It's been sitting there since the 90's b/c DH never bothered to do anything with it. I finally pushed him to take care of it so it could start making him money again.

I already knew about emergency funds and all that stuff.  It was nice to find some same minded people since I tend to be surrounding by financial train wrecks in real life.

That includes DH.  If I didn't have the boards we'd probably be divorced as well, reading on here helped me navigate the financial differences between us and find a middle ground we can both tolerate.

I'd have a lot less "friends" too.  I am pretty introverted and have a hard time making friends in real life.   The mommy thread on WIR has been a godsend and so has the job thread here on YM.

[kcladyjane]

I love the mommy board.  As a first time mom it has helped me out a ton to be able to ask questions and have them answered by various people.  The WIR board helped me get into debt paying mode. Now I just need to learn how to invest properly for retirement...

[snapdragon]

I was lurking on the old MSN boards but I never got "involved" until the switch over to Proboards. This board has helped so much with life, venting, money so many things.

I can gripe about work without having any issues because I don't have a FB account and I'm not "friends" with anyone who could get me in trouble.   

I was already paying down debt but joining the WIRR in my birthday almost three (!!!) years ago has really made me work on getting things squared away. Having several different people give you their perspective on what they would do or have gone through has also helped.

Mostly it's a great place to hang out and get common sense advice on several different topics. Plus it gives me somewhere to vent, rage and just spew on family matters without them knowing about it. I have about 5 close friends but sometimes it's nice to get a broader view from others. 

This board has been a gamechanger on how I look at my finances and life.  

[The Captain]

Bonny, alwaysbeoptimizing, and yes even though she hates it zibazinski convinced me that I could handle being a landlord.

More than one you'all have pulled me back from the edge when DH did something stupid and I was ready to smother him!

I know chiver78 is brave enough to take on teaching me ice skating should I ever wish to learn.

And in general the financial advice given has helped me tweak my family's retirement and keep it real.

[Tired Tess]

I'm much better with money.  Thank you.

Also, at times I have trouble sticking up for myself.  There have been quips and sayings that you have posted that I have used.  It's nice to know what to say and say it at the right time.

[Bonny]

I seem to have an audience for my Landlord and family trainwreck stories?

And where would be without:

According to my Phil Script, a lump sum investment of $100,000.00 bearing an annual return of 11% could grow to $2,289,229.66 a BAZILLION dollars?

All kidding aside this has been as much of a wonderful social site as financial education site. I've done quite a bit of moving over the last 7 years, lost my mom, dealt with my crazy MIL and the normal day to day stuff. You guys are a wonderful support system!

[yogiii]

May 20, 2015 15:04:15 GMT -5 Chocolate Lover said:

May 20, 2015 5:47:43 GMT -5 yogiii said:

You thought that was me?!  Ok, it was.

I've always been a saver, but I can thank YM for getting me on the Vanguard index fund track.  Otherwise I'd probably have all my money in Canadian railroads.

I knew you'd get it!

[msventoux]

My house might be cleaner.  In fact, I might have upgraded to a nicer house if it wasn't for you lot.

I found the old MSN boards a number of years ago.  Didn't participate much, but then I often don't participate much here either.  But it was gratifying to find a group of like-minded individuals of varying levels of experience and accomplishment regarding financial matters. 

My family and friends were/are complete train wrecks financially and whenever the subject of finances came up I felt like a freak for my conservative ways.  Now I have a group to make fun of the train wrecks with.    Or at least discuss them. 

[haapai]

I started lurking back in 2001 or 2002 when Liz was still moderating the board and her columns were the jumping-off point for a lot of threads.  I'd earned a business degree about 18 months prior to finding the board and lost my first real job about six months earlier.  My savings (actually graduation gifts from relatives) were dwindling rapidly and I was absolutely paralyzed.  I was attracted to the survivalist and contrarian elements in some of Liz's columns. 

It's easy to forget how lengthy, careful, and exception-filled those articles were.  I seem to remember that most of them were three pages long.  That was definitely back in the early days of online content when writers were taking advantage of the lack of space restrictions and using as much column as they needed to make their points.  Liz made good use of virtual ink to point out the many exceptions under which standard advice would not work.

I was falling into the exception category a lot. 

When I finally got a job, it was definitely an any job, and I was still finding myself in the exception zone.  I was no longer living entirely off savings, but I wasn't sure whether I was making ends meet either.  Checks weren't bouncing and everything was getting paid on time but I was only making the minimum payments and I wasn't saving a dime. 

Did I mention that the business degree was in accounting?  Did I mention that I'd been keeping records of all my spending in Quickbooks for over a year and still had no sense if I was making slow progress or sliding imperceptibly towards disaster?  I could see that my net debt was decreasing.  I saw a nice bottom line on the P & L statemtnt but cash jumped around like a pinball machine.  It took me months to figure out that almost all of the net income was going towards repayments of principal.  None of the debt was short-term. 

It was a cold, leaky day when I finally figured this out. 

If Liz had been a little less precise, and the folks on this board had consequently been more dogmatic, I probably would have turned to my coworkers in my low-wage swamp for advice and consolation at this point.  I shudder to think of where that would have gotten me.  The person that I would have turned to for survival tips has declared bankruptcy twice since then. 

[Chocolate Lover]

May 20, 2015 20:00:05 GMT -5 yogiii said:

May 20, 2015 15:04:15 GMT -5 Chocolate Lover said:

I knew you'd get it!

I literally cracked up, good thing I was alone at my desk. 

[weltschmerz]

May 20, 2015 15:01:07 GMT -5 Opti said:

May 20, 2015 10:55:14 GMT -5 yogiii said:

We still had a tube TV up until 1.5 years ago.  People couldn't handle that either.

I still have a tube TV and my phone is older than yours. No camera.

I've got you both beat. I don't have a cellphone at all.